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2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. ZIMMERMAN.

Grain Separator. No; 17,853.

Patented July 21, 1857.

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Grain Separator.

N0.- 17 ,853. Patented July- 21, 1857.

u PETERS, Photn-ulhognp a Walhinghm 0.0.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFnIoE.

WM. ZIMMERMAN, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,853, dated July 21, 1857.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ZIMMER- MAN, of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Machine or Successive Separator for Separating Wheat and other Refuse Matter from Grain; and I do hereby declare that the same is described and represented in the following specification and drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan or top view. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line Z Z of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the revolving disk. Fig. 4

' x is the inside of one of the plates which form the case for the revolving disk.

The course of the blast of air is shown by the arrows; and the kernels of grain are shown in red; the course of the grain being directly opposite to the blast.

The nature of my invention consists in arranging and operating a revolving disk on the fan shaft or otherwise, so as to throw the grain into the blast pipe horizontally by centrifugal force derived from said rotating disk. And in a cheat boX around the suction pipe, provided with a tunnel shaped delivermg pipe and spreader, so arranged as to make the grain descend alternately through the blast of air and through the tunnel shaped delivering pipe, over the spreader,

such a number of times as may be necessary or desirable to effect the separation desired; also in a conical plug arranged, so that it can be adjusted in t e suction pipe to graduate the flow of the blast in said pipe, and regulate it as desired.

In the accompanying drawings A, is a rectangular frame supported by four parts,

' V standing on the base B. The circular fan case 0, is fastened upon the frame A, and rovided with an outlet or escape in the orm shown at D, so as to permit t e blast to escape from the fan when turned in either direction with the same facility. The cover E, of the fan case is made in the form shown in the section Fig. 2, with an opening F, in the center through which the air is drawn by the fan 0, which may be made in the form shown, or in such other form as may be preferred, and is operated by a band ap lied to the pulley H, on the fan shaft G, be ow the hereafter described. Above the cover E,

there is a circular plate I, made in the form shown in the drawing, that is with a groove J, near the edge made rough or fluted, the upper surface of the plate being also fluted as shown at K, Fig. 1. There is an opening from the groove in this plate into the pipe L, as shown in the section. There is a space be tween the cover E, and plate I, for the air to pass from the pipe M, to the opening F as it is drawn by the fan. The plate I, is covered by a plate I just like itself reversed, the outer edges of the grooves J, J, in each plate being fitted together, the lugs N, N, on each plate coming outside so as to hold them rela tively in their proper position.

Between the plates I and I there is a disk P, fastened to the fan shaft G so as to be turned by it. This disk is perforated as shown at P and has a flange upon each side at the edge as shown in the section which flanges are fluted and revolves in the grooves J, J. The plate I has a hub Q in the center on the upper side which is erforated for the upper end of the fan shaft to turn in, and there is a cap or socket fastened to the hop per R, which fits onto the hub Q, so as to support and hold the hopper in its proper place. There is a tube from this hopper which conducts the grain down onto the revolving disk, and a part of the grain passes through the holes in the disk, so as to supply both sides, and the grain is scoured more or less by the disk and plates and thrown into the pipe L, by centrifugal force and with a whirling motion, so that the grain which is passing in strikes the grain which is whirling around and forces it into the middle, and spreads it over the whole area of the pipe L, through which a strong blast is drawn u by the fan G, and carried over the mac ine through the curved pipe L which conducts it to M, from which it passes to the fan as before mentioned.

The u per end of thapipe L, is surrounded by the 0 eat boX S, made in the form shown in the drawing and provided with a swinging door T, opening outward, and so arranged as to be drawn to, by the suction of the blast, unless it is pushed open by the pressure of the cheat and other refuse matter, separated from the grain and collected in the cheat box. There is an opening in the top of the cheat box S, which is stopped by the plug U, havin a conical point which projects down into the end ofthe pipe L, and may be adjusted higher or lower to graduate and regulate the blast, and adapt it to the kind of grain being acted upon by the machine. The conical point of the plug U, also spreads the blast and distributes it over the cheat box so as to allow the cheat and other refuse matter separated from the grain time to precipitate themselves from the blast, and fall in the cheat box while the blast is drawn forward through the pipe L heretofore described.

The grain which is thrown into the pipe L, descends through the blast which is lssuing from the openings V, V, in the upper part of the lower or second cheat box W, shown in section, and falls into the tunnel pi e X, from which it issues onto the spreader and passes out of the machine through the blast which is being drawn in between the spreader and the pipe Z, which forms the interior of the cheat box W, as shown in the section.

The cheat box WV may be made in the form shown in the drawing or in such other form as may be preferred and provided with an enlargement on one side, having an inclined bottom a, and swinging door 6, arranged like the doorT, heretofore described so as to be closed by the suction of the blast, so as to compel the blast to enter around the spreader Y, where the grain is passing out, so as to separate any cheat or refuse matter from the grain and carry it up into the cheat box W, around the pipe Z, where the blast is spread in the cheat box as it cannot pass up through the tunnel pipe X, as that is intended to be made so small, as to be constantly filled with the descending grain when the machine is in operation. The spreader Y, is supported by some narrow strips 0, c, which extend up from it, to the pipe X, to which they are fastened as shown in the section. Now by making a number of cheat-boxes like W, and

arranging them below one another in succession, so that the grain will pass from one into the other downward, and the blast ascend from one into the other u ward, the grain may be acted upon by the b ast, such a number of times as may be necessary, to effect the separation desired.

The bolts (1, d, from the frame A, pass up through the ears 6, e, on the plate I and secure the several parts below the plate to the frame.

I contemplate that some parts of my machine may be modified in several different ways, so as to adapt it to the service to be performed, without departing from the principles or merits of my invention.

I believe I have described and represented my invention, so as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use it; and I will now state what I desire to secure by Letters Patent to wit:

1. I claim the perforated rotating disk P, with its diamond shaped ring or its equivalent on the same shaft with the fan, arranged and operated so as to throw the grain by centrifugal force into the blast pipe hori- Zontally substantially as described.

2. I claim the cheat box W, around the suction pi e in combination with the tunnel shaped de ivering tube X, and spreader Y, arranged substantially as described so as to make the grain descend through the blast of air, and through a tunnel shaped pipe over the spreader, substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

3. I claim a conical lug arranged so that it can be adjusted in t e suction pipe, substantially as described, to graduate the flow of the blast in the suction pipe and regulate it as desired.

WM. ZIMMERMAN. Witnesses:

J. DENNIS, Jr., JOHN S. IIOLLINGSHEAD. 

